We incorporate field robots for automated sensing and crop development monitoring in our field trials. Our unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) can drive along the experimental plots and stop in any place for data collection, guided by high precise inertial sensors and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers.

We utilize sensors, which we mount on our tractors’ roofs or booms to observe within-field plant or soil variation. We use the sensors to trigger commands for steering, variable fertilization or spraying for plant protection.

At the moment we are building a fixed-wing UAV with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. This solution will allow us to operate a multitude of sensor payloads and to cover even larger areas with the ease of operation of multi-rotor UAVs.

News

15-08-2019

The Centre for Precision Agriculture is pleased to announce a new and exciting project, PRESIS. Precision agriculture as a means in the goal to a more efficient and sustainable agriculture have become a well thought of method.

Center for Precision Agriculture

The Center for Precision Agriculture (CPA) was established in August 2016 and is situated at NIBIO Apelsvoll in Kapp in Østre Toten community in Norway. The purpose of the CPA is to contribute to a resource-efficient and sustainable agriculture by shortening the time-span farmers need to adopt new agricultural technology.

A bit about precision agriculture

Precision Agriculture (PA) is about using new technology to adapt the treatment of soil and plant growth by demand, which often varies widely within the same field. This concept is thus an alternative to conventional farming, in which each field is treated uniformly. By means of PA, we may for example perform spraying (weed- and disease control) and apply fertilizers and lime at variable rates according to the site-specific requirements. These requirements are mapped by putting together information from many sources, in which detailed data from various sensor systems, spectrally enhanced cameras and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) play a central role. Such equipment can be mounted on tractors, autonomous robots (unmanned ground vehicle, UGV), drones (unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV), helicopter and planes, and on satellites.

What we are working on at the center

At CPA we develop and test technological solutions for both current and future PA. Our research and development activity is concentrated on the following topics:

Cooperation

We work together with many partners, both in Norway and abroad, which together cover a wide span from end users (e.g. interested farmers, the Farmers’ Union), via stakeholders in the agricultural key market (e.g. Yara Norway, Yara Research Center Hanninghof, Felleskjøpet Agri), to selected technology companies and research centers (e.g. Adigo AS, Garford Farm Machinery Ltd, IMEC). In addition, we cooperate extensively with the scientific community in many countries. Our network is continuously under expansion.